47-587: Murrumbidgee is the name of a river in New South Wales, Australia. It may refer to: Murrumbidgee River Murrumbidgee River Railway Bridge Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area Murrumbidgee Red Gums Important Bird Area Murrumbidgee Co-operative Milling , defunct flour-milling company Murrumbidgee District , historical district Murrumbidgee Shire , local government area Murrumbidgee , 1977 album by The Bushwackers (band) Murrumbidgee electorate ,
94-536: A century (until the establishment of Cabramurra ), Kiandra was Australia's highest town. Kiandra lies approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi) north-west of Cooma on the Snowy Mountains Highway between Adaminaby and Talbingo . It sits at 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) above sea level and is situated on a high, treeless ridge on the banks of the Eucumbene River , which is snow-covered during winter and
141-399: A current Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly electorate Electoral district of Murrumbidgee , a former New South Wales Legislative Assembly district Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Murrumbidgee . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
188-514: A junction, and in less than a minute afterwards, we were hurried into a broad and noble river ... such was the force with which we had been shot out of the Morumbidgee, that we were carried nearly to the bank opposite its embouchure , whilst we continued to gaze in silent astonishment on the capacious channel [of the Murray River] we had entered ... The Murrumbidgee basin was opened to settlement in
235-688: A member of the Club, together with four members of the Ski Club of Australia made the first historic ski traverse from Kiandra to the Hotel Kosciusko. Their eventful journey is retold in Klaus Hueneke 's book " Kiandra to Kosciusko " and was commemorated by 150 ski tourers in 1977 in an event organised by the Kosciusko Huts Association . The Kiandra courthouse closed as a police station in 1937, and
282-999: A number of heritage-listed sites, including: Historic Kiandra: A Guide to the History of the District , by D. G. Moye (editor) was published by the Cooma-Monaro Historical Society to mark the centenary of the Kiandra Goldrush in 1959, and remains in print. Australian High Country enthusiast Klause Hueneke has written two books on the Kiandra region: Huts of the High Country , 1982 and Kiandra to Kosciusko , 1987. The Kiandra Pioneer Ski Club published two histories: Kiandra – Gold Fields to Ski Fields (2006) and Lapland Snow Shoes in Australia (2010). The poet Barcroft Boake wrote
329-458: A poem about skiing at Kiandra, entitled "The Demon Snow Shoes: A Legend of Kiandra". Banjo Paterson referenced Kiandra in his poetry - as in A Mountain Station (The Bulletin, 19 December 1891). Patrick White 's first novel, Happy Valley (1939), has Kiandra thinly disguised as the township of "Kambala". The 2011 time travel/science fiction adventure novel Falling into History , by Peter Fleming,
376-612: A section of the upper river's channels are relatively new in geological terms, dating from the early Miocene (the Miocene era being from 23 to 5 million years ago). It is suggested that the Upper Murrumbidgee is an anabranch of the Tumut River (that once continued north along Mutta Mutta Creek) when geological uplift near Adaminaby diverted its flow. From Gundagai onwards the rivers flow within its ancestral channel. In June 2008
423-525: A series by Charles Kerry , and a scene of Chinese miners near the Township. Owing to its elevation, Kiandra has a cold oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ), as at least 4 months see a mean temperature above 10 °C (50 °F), bordering on a Subpolar oceanic climate ( Cfc ); having cold and very snowy winters, alongside summers that are quite cool with the odd snowfall. Kiandra receives an average of 47.5 snowy days annually. If using
470-721: A white man of any known position had made the discovery, it would at once have received the name of some person holding official sway. The river was once used as a transport route, with paddle steamers navigating the river as far as Gundagai . The river trade declined with the coming of the railways. Paddle steamers last used the Murrumbidgee in the 1930s. To allow the steamers and towed barges to pass, there were opening bridges at Hay , Balranald , and Carathool The river has risen above 7 metres (23 ft) at Gundagai nine times between 1852 and 2010, an average of just under once every eleven years. Since 1925, flooding has been minor with
517-737: Is a major tributary of the Murray River within the Murray–Darling basin and the second longest river in Australia . It flows through the Australian state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory , descending 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) over 1,485 kilometres (923 mi), generally in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of
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#1732844819153564-619: Is an abandoned gold mining town and the birthplace of Australian skiing. The town is situated in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales , Australia , in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council inside the Kosciuszko National Park . Its name is a corruption of Aboriginal 'Gianderra' for 'sharp stones for knives'. It was earlier called Gibson's Plains , named after a Dr. Gibson, a settler in the district in 1839. For
611-507: Is bordered by a narrow strip of land on each side; these are managed as the Murrumbidgee River Corridor (MRC). This land includes many nature reserves , eight recreation reserves, a European heritage conservation zone and rural leases. The mainstream of the river system flows for 900 kilometres (560 mi). The river's headwaters arise from the wet heath and bog at the foot of Peppercorn Hill situated along Long Plain which
658-780: Is estimated that the area at its peak accommodated around 15,000 people, served by 25 stores, 13 bakers, 16 butchers, 14 pubs, several banks and four blacksmiths. Nevertheless, by 1861, the Sydney Morning Herald was reporting a "mass exodus" and the easy pickings were exhausted. Significant numbers of Chinese people worked the Kiandra goldfields. Chinese miners built Three Mile Dam in 1882 to assist with sluicing operations at "New Chum Hill". The scenic lake still exists and now supplies Selwyn Snowfields with its snow-making water requirements. Misplaced Pages's Chinese site lists Kiandra as 奇安德拉 (Qi An De La). The last mining operations finally ceased around 1905. Official total production recorded
705-557: Is partially set in Kiandra. The Township has been subject to various archaeological studies, including a project by the Australian National University Department of Archaeology and Anthropology under the direction of Drs Mike Smith, Ken Heffernan and Annie Clark in the mid-1990s. The Kiandra Historical Society remains a useful resource of record for the history of the town. A number of interesting photographic studies were taken of life at Kiandra, including
752-661: Is subject to high winds. It lies in the Australian Alps montane grasslands bioregion according to Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia . After decades of decline, restoration work on the remaining buildings at Kiandra took place from 2009 to 2020, including work on the historic Kiandra Courthouse Chalet and Wolgal Lodge fishing cottage being conducted by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and volunteers, enabling occasional amenities and limited accommodation at Kiandra. The remaining buildings in
799-578: Is within the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains ; and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Kiandra . From its headwaters it flows to its confluence with the Murray River . The river flows for 66 kilometres (41 mi) through the Australian Capital Territory near Canberra , picking up the important tributaries of the Gudgenby , Queanbeyan , Molonglo and Cotter Rivers . The Murrumbidgee drains much of southern New South Wales and all of
846-644: The Murray-Darling Basin Commission released a report on the condition of the Murray–Darling basin , with the Goulburn and Murrumbidgee Rivers rated in a very poor condition in the Murray-Darling basin with fish stocks in both rivers were also rated as extremely poor, with only 13 of the original 22 native fish species still found in the Murrumbidgee River. The Murrumbidgee River runs through
893-507: The Snowy Mountains towards its confluence with the Murray River near Boundary Bend . The word Murrumbidgee or Marrambidya means "big water" in the Wiradjuri language , one of the local Australian Aboriginal languages . The river itself flows through several traditional Aboriginal Australian lands, home to various Aboriginal peoples. In the Australian Capital Territory, the river
940-518: The 0 °C (32.0 °F) isotherm , Kiandra qualifies for the continental ( Dfb ) climate type which is extremely rare in the Southern Hemisphere and arguably nonexistent in Australia. Indeed, using the original −3 °C (26.6 °F) isotherm, it is firmly a cold oceanic climate. Climate statistics were compiled at the Kiandra Chalet site, elevation 1,395 metres (4,577 ft), from
987-462: The 1830s and soon became an important farming area. Ernest Favenc , when writing on Australian exploration, commented on the relatively tardy European discovery of the river and that the river retained a name used by Indigenous Australians : Here we may remark on the tenacity with which the Murrumbidgee River long eluded the eye of the white man. It is scarcely probable that Meehan and Hume, who on this occasion were within comparatively easy reach of
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#17328448191531034-523: The 1960s fishing cottage was in part conducted to create and demonstrate a market demand for Kiandra-based accommodation, which, according to the Snowy Times , could prove a "market based argument for restoring the Kiandra Courthouse and Chalet for accommodation". Easter 2013 saw all four of Kiandra's buildings in public use for the first time in decades - with guided tours and exhibitions - including
1081-591: The 2009 ski season when it was replaced by the Township Triple Chair (retaining the name "Township" in reference to the Kiandra Township hill run). The last resident left Kiandra in 1974, after which the NPWS took over the town and completed its demolition of most of its buildings. This decision by the NPWS not to preserve much of the human heritage of the township remains a source of resentment in some quarters in
1128-505: The Australian Capital Territory, and is an important source of irrigation water for the Riverina farming area. The reaches of the Murrumbidgee in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) are affected by the complete elimination of large spring snowmelt flows and a reduction of average annual flows of almost 50%, due to Tantangara Dam . Tantangara Dam was completed in 1960 on the headwaters of Murrumbidgee River and diverted approximately 99% of
1175-644: The Matthew's Cottage exhibition and the Pattinson's cottage house museum. During the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, on 3 January 2020, the Dunns Road fire burned from Batlow into Kosciuszko National Park and burning much of the northern part of the park. The courthouse was severely damaged, the fire burning so hot that the glass and aluminium in the windows melted. Wolgal Hut and Pattisons Huts were also feared to have been destroyed. The Kosciuszko National Park has
1222-471: The Murrumbidgee River including Wagga Wagga, where the river peaked at 10.56 metres (34.6 ft) on 6 March 2012. This peak was 0.18 metres (0.59 ft) below the 1974 flood level of 10.74 metres (35.2 ft). Major wetlands along the Murrumbidgee or associated with the Murrumbidgee catchment include: Download coordinates as: The Murrumbidgee River has about 90 named tributaries in total; 24 rivers, and numerous creeks and gullies. The ordering of
1269-572: The NPWS entry booth (which is only attended during the snow season). This stamper was used to crush rock and quartz in order to free the embedded gold. The Wig and Pen Brewery in Canberra commemorates this chapter in Australia's High Country history with a pale golden pilsner beer in the Czech style, named "Kiandra Gold". Kiandra is often isolated by deep snow which made it inaccessible during winter. In 1861, Norwegian miners introduced recreational skiing to
1316-457: The Yass Plains, almost on its bank, he makes no special mention of the river. From all this we may deduce the extremely probable fact that the position of the river was shown to some stockrider by a native, who also confided the aboriginal name, and so it gradually worked the knowledge of its identity into general belief. This theory is the more feasible as the river has retained its native name. If
1363-403: The basin, from source to mouth, of the major tributaries is: The list below notes past and present bridges that cross over the Murrumbidgee River. There were numerous other crossings before the bridges were constructed and many of these still exist today. a replacement for this bridge in 2020. Download coordinates as: and 2020 and 2009 Kiandra, New South Wales Kiandra
1410-411: The ceremony. The later additions to the original courthouse at the rear of the building remain in a state of outward disrepair, although National Parks intended to continue the restoration in stages, aiming to preserve the cultural history of the site across its many previous uses. In 2012, public accommodation returned to Kiandra with the opening of the restored Wolgal Lodge for bookings. The opening of
1457-405: The district to this day. Only four buildings from the former township remain intact, together with a collection of ruins and the historic cemetery. The area retains various other relics of Australian pioneer history , including mining equipment, old gravesites and abandoned diggings. The remaining buildings at Kiandra are of high heritage value and historical walking trails provided information on
Murrumbidgee - Misplaced Pages Continue
1504-507: The exception of floods in 1974 and in December 2010, when the river rose to 10.2 metres (33 ft) at Gundagai. In the 1852 disaster, the river rose to just over 12.2 m (40 ft). The following year the river again rose to just over 12.5 m (41 ft). The construction of Burrinjuck Dam from 1907 has significantly reduced flooding but, despite the dam, there were major floods in 1925, 1950, 1974 and 2012. The most notable flood
1551-585: The expedition journal, Throsby wrote as a marginal note: "This river or stream is called by the natives Yeal-am-bid-gie ..." . The river he had stumbled upon was in fact the Molonglo River , Throsby reached the actual river in April 1821. In 1823, Brigade-Major John Ovens and Captain Mark Currie reached the upper Murrumbidgee when exploring south of Lake George . In 1829, Charles Sturt and his party rowed down
1598-429: The former layout and points of interests of the old town. The most substantial remaining building is the former courthouse, which was originally constructed in 1890, and which was partially restored by National Parks in 2010, Stokes Rousseau and carpenters Sean Walker and Barry Ellwood from Furnbiz for use as an interpretive centre. The restored court room was officially opened on 5 May 2010 with some 150 people present for
1645-558: The founding of the Kiandra Snow Shoe Club —reportedly becoming the "world's longest continuously running ski club" as it evolved into the present-day Kiandra Pioneer Ski Club in Perisher Valley , NSW. Whether the club is the first of its kind has been subject to debate. At one time, the poet Banjo Paterson was a vice president. The Club held perhaps the first international ski race carnival in 1908. In 1927, William Hughes,
1692-473: The head waters, could have seen a new inland river at that time without mentioning the fact, but there is no record traceable anywhere as to the date of its discovery, or the name of its finder. When in 1823 Captain Currie and Major Ovens were led along its bank on to the beautiful Maneroo country by Joseph Wild, the stream was then familiar to the early settlers and called the Morumbidgee. Even in 1821, when Hume found
1739-407: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murrumbidgee&oldid=739694287 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Murrumbidgee River The Murrumbidgee River ( / m ʌr ə m ˈ b ɪ dʒ i / )
1786-456: The lower half of the Murrumbidgee River in a stoutly built, large row-boat, from Narrandera to the Murray River, and then down the Murray River to the sea. They rowed back upstream, against the current to their starting point. Sturt's description of their passage through the junction of the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers is dramatic. His description of wild strong currents in the Murrumbidgee— in
1833-476: The middle of summer (14 January 1830), when flows are declining and close to the seasonal summer/autumn minimum, is in contrast to the reduced flow seen at the junction today in mid-summer: The men looked anxiously out ahead; for the singular change in the river had impressed on them an idea, that we were approaching its termination ... We were carried at a fearful rate down its gloomy and contracted banks ... At 3 p.m., Hopkinson called out that we were approaching
1880-560: The river's flow at that point into Lake Eucumbene . This has extremely serious effects on native fish populations and other native aquatic life and has led to serious siltation, stream contraction, fish habitat loss, and other problems. The Murrumbidgee where it enters the ACT is effectively half the river it used to be. The reduced and significantly modified flow of the river is further exasperated by dams on its tributaries, such as Scrivener Dam , Cotter Dam , and Googong Dam . A study suggests
1927-459: The snowbound mining settlement after manufacturing over forty pairs of both short skis, known as "skates". and the longer "snow shoes" during the months before the first winter snow. To avoid confusion with a conventional skate, the skates were described as (two palings turned up at the front end and about four foot long). There were no fence palings or posts in Kiandra in 1861. Ski races were held annually on Township Hill at Kiandra, which led to
Murrumbidgee - Misplaced Pages Continue
1974-491: The town were either destroyed or severely damaged during the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season . In November 1859, gold was discovered by mountain cattlemen, the Pollock brothers, and by March 1860, some 10,000 miners and storekeepers had raced to the scene. Initial returns were very good. A 9 kg nugget was discovered in river deposits under what became known as New Chum Hill. Kiandra post office opened on 1 June 1860 and it
2021-515: The traditional lands of the Ngarigo, Ngunnawal, Wiradjuri , Nari Nari and Muthi Muthi Aboriginal peoples. The Murrumbidgee River was known to Europeans before they first recorded it. In 1820 the explorer Charles Throsby informed the Governor of New South Wales that he anticipated finding "a considerable river of salt water (except at very wet seasons), called by the natives Mur-rum-big-gee". In
2068-487: The year 1866 until 1974. Temperature averages were compiled from 1897 to 1974 – though extreme temperature readings were not digitised until 1957. The lowest temperature recorded at Kiandra is −20.6 °C (−5 °F) on 2 August 1929, also the lowest temperature recorded in Australia at that time. The highest temperature is 34.7 °C (94.5 °F), recorded during a severe heatwave in southeast Australia in January 1939. In
2115-416: Was 48 676 kg. In 1890 the second courthouse to be built in the township was constructed. The building included police barracks and was used more for its police rather than court function. It remained Kiandra's police station until 1937, later to become the Kiandra Chalet. A 'battery stamper' and other mining relics recovered locally are situated on the road to Cabramurra below New Chums Hill, close to
2162-581: Was for a time used as a private residence, before becoming the Kiandra Chalet (until 1953) and later the Kiandra Chalet Hotel, The owner of the Chalet ran a ski rope tow. The Chalet closed in 1973 and the building became a Roads Depot building. Australia's first T-bar lift was installed on Township Hill in 1957, but in 1978, Kiandra's ski lift operations re-located permanently to nearby Selwyn Snowfields . The T-Bar remained in operation at Mt Selwyn until
2209-498: Was in 1852 when the town of Gundagai was swept away and 89 people, a third of the town's population, were killed. The town was rebuilt on higher ground. In 1925, four people died and the flooding lasted for eight days. The reduction in floods has consequences for wildlife, particularly birds and trees. There has been a decline in bird populations and black box flood plain eucalypt forest trees are starting to lose their crowns. Major flooding occurred during March 2012 along
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